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Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz

New York

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Key contacts
Partner / Co-Chair: Edward Herlihy
Partner / Co-Chair: Daniel Neff
Key practice areas
Banking
Capital markets
Financial and corporate
Restructuring and insolvency
M&A
Real estate and Construction
Real estate
Firm overview

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is one of the most prominent business law firms in the United States.  The firm’s pre eminence in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, takeovers and takeover defense, strategic investments, corporate and securities law, and corporate governance means that it regularly handles some of the largest, most complex and demanding transactions in the United States and around the world.  It features consistently in the top rank of legal advisors.  The firm also focuses on sensitive investigation and litigation matters and corporate restructurings, and in counseling boards of directors and senior management in the most sensitive situations.  Its attorneys are also recognized thought leaders, frequently teaching, speaking and writing in their areas of expertise.

Key practice areas
  • Capital markets: Debt
  • Capital markets: Derivatives
  • Capital markets: Equity
  • Capital markets: High yield
  • Competition
  • Financial restructuring
  • Financial services regulatory
  • M&A
  • Private equity
  • Real estate funds
  • Restructuring and insolvency

Click here for full details

Key practice contacts and recent case/matter highlights

Mergers & Acquisitions

Edward D. Herlihy/Daniel A. Neff/Andrew R. Brownstein/Steven A. Rosenblum/Adam O. Emmerich

Recent U.S. transactional highlights:

  • Broadcom in its $18.9 billion all-cash acquisition of CA Technologies;
  • Envision Healthcare in its $9.9 billion sale to KKR;
  • NextEra Energy in its $6.5 billion acquisition of Gulf Power Company, Florida City;
  • Cigna in its $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts;
  • Thomson Reuters Corporation in its strategic partnership with Blackstone for Thomson Reuters Financial and Risk (F&R) business valued at $20 billion;
  • Broadcom Limited in its $130 billion proposal to acquire Qualcomm Incorporated;
  • United Technologies in its $30.3 billion acquisition of Rockwell Collins; and
  • Jacobs Engineering Group in its $3.3 billion acquisition of CH2M HILL Companies.

Recent cross-border transactional highlights

  • T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom in the $146 billion combination of T-Mobile and Sprint;
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. in its $7.2 billion acquisition of Patheon N.V.;
  • Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. in its $1.35 billion acquisition of Jimmy Choo plc;
  • Actelion Ltd. in its $30 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson and spin off of drug discovery operations and early stage clinical assets;
  • PPG Industries in its $29.6 billion offer to acquire Akzo Nobel N.V.;
  • Harman International Industries, Inc. in its $8.8 billion acquisition by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; and
  • Monsanto in its $66 billion acquisition by Bayer Aktiengesellschaft.
Sector expertise
  • Agriculture
  • Automotive
  • Banking
  • Construction and materials
  • Consumer goods and services
  • Energy
  • Financial services
  • Food and beverage
  • Gaming
  • Healthcare
  • Industrials
  • Insurance
  • Investment management
  • Media
  • Mining
  • Natural resources
  • Oil and gas
  • Pharm and life sciences
  • Real estate
  • Tech and telecoms
  • Transport
  • Utilities
Address:
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Tel:+212 403 1000 Fax:+212 403 2000 Email:Contact Us Web Address:http://www.wlrk.com
Rankings published in 2026
Banking
Tier 3
34 firms ranked
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Tier 1

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Davis Polk & Wardwell
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Milbank
7 practice areas
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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
6 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
7 practice areas
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Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton
8 practice areas
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Kirkland & Ellis
6 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
6 practice areas
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Weil Gotshal & Manges
6 practice areas
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Tier 3

A&O Shearman
4 practice areas
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6 practice areas
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Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
6 practice areas
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Morgan Lewis & Bockius
3 practice areas
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Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
7 practice areas
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White & Case
7 practice areas
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Tier 4

Dechert
7 practice areas
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Greenberg Traurig
5 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
3 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
5 practice areas
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O'Melveny & Myers
4 practice areas
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Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
2 practice areas
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Paul Hastings
7 practice areas
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Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
5 practice areas
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Ropes & Gray
5 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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Winston Taylor
4 practice areas
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Tier 5

Bracewell
5 practice areas
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Clifford Chance
6 practice areas
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Luskin Stern & Eisler
4 practice areas
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Notable

Dorsey & Whitney
2 practice areas
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Loeb & Loeb
2 practice areas
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Otterbourg
2 practice areas
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Capital markets
Tier 4
26 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Cahill Gordon & Reindel
5 practice areas
View profile
Cravath Swaine & Moore
5 practice areas
View profile
Davis Polk & Wardwell
7 practice areas
View profile
Latham & Watkins
6 practice areas
View full profile
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6 practice areas
View profile
Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
5 practice areas
View profile
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
7 practice areas
View profile
Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
View profile
Weil Gotshal & Manges
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
4 practice areas
View profile
Debevoise & Plimpton
8 practice areas
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Kirkland & Ellis
6 practice areas
View profile
Mayer Brown
3 practice areas
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Milbank
7 practice areas
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Paul Hastings
7 practice areas
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Tier 4

Clifford Chance
6 practice areas
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Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
6 practice areas
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Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
6 practice areas
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Greenberg Traurig
5 practice areas
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Morrison & Foerster
5 practice areas
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Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
7 practice areas
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Tier 5

Alston & Bird
4 practice areas
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Notable

Dechert
7 practice areas
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Reed Smith
5 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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M&A
Tier 1
40 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Cravath Swaine & Moore
5 practice areas
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Davis Polk & Wardwell
7 practice areas
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Kirkland & Ellis
6 practice areas
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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
6 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
7 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
7 practice areas
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Weil Gotshal & Manges
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton
8 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
6 practice areas
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Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
5 practice areas
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Ropes & Gray
5 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
4 practice areas
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6 practice areas
View profile
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
6 practice areas
View profile
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
6 practice areas
View profile
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
3 practice areas
View profile
Morrison & Foerster
5 practice areas
View profile
Paul Hastings
7 practice areas
View profile
White & Case
7 practice areas
View profile
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 4

Clifford Chance
6 practice areas
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Dechert
7 practice areas
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Freshfields US LLP
10 practice areas
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Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
4 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
5 practice areas
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Milbank
7 practice areas
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Reed Smith
5 practice areas
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Tier 5

Cahill Gordon & Reindel
5 practice areas
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Greenberg Traurig
5 practice areas
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
3 practice areas
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Notable

Cole Schotz
6 practice areas
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Duane Morris
4 practice areas
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Kleinberg Kaplan Wolff & Cohen
3 practice areas
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Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
2 practice areas
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Seward & Kissel
2 practice areas
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Troutman Pepper Locke
6 practice areas
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Winston Taylor
4 practice areas
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Foreign

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
2 practice areas
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Nishimura & Asahi
3 practice areas
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Real estate and Construction
Tier 4
25 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
6 practice areas
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Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
5 practice areas
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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
6 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
7 practice areas
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Tier 2

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6 practice areas
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Dechert
7 practice areas
View profile
Milbank
7 practice areas
View profile
Paul Hastings
7 practice areas
View profile
Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
View profile
Weil Gotshal & Manges
6 practice areas
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Tier 3

Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
4 practice areas
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Debevoise & Plimpton
8 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
6 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
5 practice areas
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Morrison & Foerster
5 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 4

Clifford Chance
6 practice areas
View profile
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
6 practice areas
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Ropes & Gray
5 practice areas
View profile
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
7 practice areas
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White & Case
7 practice areas
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Tier 5

King & Spalding
4 practice areas
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Notable

Cole Schotz
6 practice areas
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Davis Polk & Wardwell
7 practice areas
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Kasowitz LLP
2 practice areas
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Restructuring and insolvency
Tier 2
33 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

Davis Polk & Wardwell
7 practice areas
View profile
Kirkland & Ellis
6 practice areas
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Milbank
7 practice areas
View profile
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
7 practice areas
View profile
Weil Gotshal & Manges
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
3 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
7 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

Brown Rudnick
2 practice areas
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6 practice areas
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
3 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
6 practice areas
View full profile
McDermott Will & Schulte
5 practice areas
View profile
Morrison & Foerster
5 practice areas
View profile
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 4

Cravath Swaine & Moore
5 practice areas
View profile
Debevoise & Plimpton
8 practice areas
View profile
Dechert
7 practice areas
View profile
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
6 practice areas
View profile
Katten Muchin & Rosenman
2 practice areas
View profile
O'Melveny & Myers
4 practice areas
View profile
Paul Hastings
7 practice areas
View profile
Reed Smith
5 practice areas
View profile
White & Case
7 practice areas
View profile

Tier 5

Bracewell
5 practice areas
View profile
Cahill Gordon & Reindel
5 practice areas
View profile
Clifford Chance
6 practice areas
View profile
Cole Schotz
6 practice areas
View profile
Dentons
3 practice areas
View profile
Freshfields US LLP
10 practice areas
View profile
King & Spalding
4 practice areas
View profile
Luskin Stern & Eisler
4 practice areas
View profile
Linked Reviews
Financial and corporate

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz 

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz was founded in 1965 in New York. Since then, the firm has become a go-to for business law globally, whilst maintaining their sole New York office. The New York office is especially experienced in mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism, corporate governance and capital markets. It works with public and private companies and frequently acts as counsel to boards of directors. The firm prides itself on delivering bespoke and innovative solutions to a variety of clients 

 Highlights 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz continued to distinguish itself in 2024 through its elite M&A and banking practices. The firm advised on complex, high-value transactions across sectors, including strategic acquisitions, joint ventures, and cross-border financings. Notable mandates included advising Broadcom on permanent financing arrangements following its historic VMware acquisition and guiding Diamondback Energy through a multi-step acquisition financing. The firm also represented AbbVie in a senior notes offering and 3M in a revolving credit facility. Its borrower-side banking work spanned bridge loans, term facilities, and capital structure refinancings, underscoring its deep expertise in transformative corporate finance. 

Key clients 

Key clients include Abra Group, Broadcom, OpenAI, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, Smurfit Kappa, The RealReal and T-Mobile.

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